The pool that artist Jeroen Bisscheroux crafted isn’t the type that you’d swim in. Instead, it’s a completely flat art installation and optical illusion. The carpet-like painting is titled POOL, loss of color and it depicts a nearly empty, deteriorating swimming pool. Although it’s an impressive sight, Bisscheroux’s work is meant to evoke more than just a sense of wonder as it bridges two tragedies that took place in Japan. One is the 2011 tsunami that affected the Sendai region, and the other is the related events involving the meltdown of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.

The concept behind the installation is that it “brings the impact of the disaster back to human proportions; the understandable human proportions of the dimension of a swimming pool.” To the artist, water is simultaneously relaxing as well as a vehicle for catastrophe. Any sort of positive associations we have with playing in a pool are overshadowed by its frightening depth and sad events that we know it signifies.

POOL, loss of color reminds us that tragedy doesn’t just happen in faraway places; it can occur anywhere. Bisscheroux creates awareness of on-going issues like in Japan to commemorate those affected and to offer continuing support.